Dear John:

St. Augustine said, "Further, between grace  and predestination  there is only this difference, that predestination is the preparation for grace, while grace is the donation itself."

There is a wide-spread misinterpretation of Augustine's teachings. One distorted view of Augustine was the Jansenist, who were condemned by the Council of Trent.

To read what St. Augustine actually said about Pre-destination see On the Predestination of the Saints.

St. Augustine was a saint, but he was not the pope declaring his view ex cathedra. His understanding of pre-destination was incomplete. The is why the Church is needed -- to provide definitive definitions. Saints are not perfect.

No one still holds to an interpretation of Augustine that promotes double-predestination except these lunatics.

I argued this once with a Reformed Presbyterian pastor. The Reformed Presbyterians are among the most bigoted against Catholics, and most other denominations for that matter. When we finished and he was leaving I said to him, "You take care." He responded, "I wish I could say the same to you, but I can't." He cannot wish well of a Catholic.

Those who are hard-line Calvinist, from my personal experience with them, are not only bigots (which is a form of hate, which is a sin) but appear to hold an obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, scrupulosity, and the sins of uncharity and grand presumption (which is pride). I really doubt God predestined men to be like that.

Frankly, I would not waste my time with a hard-liner Calvinist lune. But, if you must debate him insist that he prove his assertions, chapter and verse of St. Augustine, etc. Also, by what authority does he interpret the Bible. The issue of sola scriptura is a sore spot with all Protestants because they have no authority to appeal to in order to ensure they are interpreting correctly. This issue, along with all the other lunatic heresies of these Protestants, is not Biblical and is a fully man-made doctrine.

Read also, St. Augustine on Grace and Predestination by Fr. William Most

Here are some other resources to help you. The first two are transcripts of actual debates on this subject between Dave Armstrong and a Protestant

Dialogue With a Calvinist on Whether Total Depravity, Limited Atonement, and Irresistible Grace Are True (I.e., Biblical) and Also Part of the Gospel

Dialogue With a Calvinist on Whether God Predestines the Damned to Hell From All Eternity, Limited Atonement, and Total Depravity (Tons of Scripture!)

Biblical Evidence Against Double Predestination From Lack of Parallelism in Descriptive Terms for the Damned + Non-Calvinist Exegesis of Romans 9

Do Catholics Believe in Predestination?

Catholic Predestination (Ludwig Ott)

Catholic Predestination, Molinism, and Thomism in a Nutshell

Catholic Encyclopedia articles on Predestination, John Calvin, and Calvinism.

And since Calvin taught that man as no free will, be sure to read the Encyclopedia article, Free Will and the Catechism.

God Speed with this.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary